Lunching At The Langham

An afternoon in the luxury of The Langham Hotel allowed 40 plus blogger Claire Kenny to experience life from a very different perspective.


Before the pandemic, I visited London quite regularly for work. Although I don’t miss travelling, I do miss the buzz. I’ll never not be seduced by the iconic views, the hidden gems you stumble across by complete accident and the sense of being at the epicentre of the action.

Last week I was thrilled to be invited to London with Victoria Mullins, which offered a perfect opportunity to reacquaint myself with the capital. The owner of Palm Tree Skin in Woodlesford, West Yorkshire, Vicky is a skincare specialist with over 16 years’ experience. She wanted to thank a group of her clients and supporters with a tasting experience at Postillion, the private dining space in Roux at the Landou.

Arriving at The Langham Hotel is an event in itself. As far as venues go, this is a true London icon, and from the understated yet warm welcome to the jaw-dropping floristry, you’re cocooned in quiet elegance from the moment you step over the threshold.

Making our way to Postillion, we were greeted by a friendly private dining team and a tastefully pretty dining space looking out onto bustling West London, including BT Tower, with beautiful feminine touches (and seemingly never-ending glasses of a fantastic prosecco I dearly wish I’d got the name of).

The stunning quality of the first of our five courses set the tone for what was to come. A tartare of yellowfin tuna with caviar and an additional ‘pop’ of citrus soya dressing had all the freshness and vibrancy you’d want in a starter, and a huge roast diver scallop followed, with the crispy prosecco and array of colourful, tasty tomatoes the perfect backdrop.

Glazed beef followed, with the texture of soft butter and the depth of flavour of the most skilful Sunday roast. Cabbage is my most detested vegetable, but I devoured every bit of the accompanying braised hispi, helped along by a touch of summer truffle.

Dessert was exquisite and delicate yet still packed a punch. Greek yoghurt foam surrounded the softest, most beautifully presented blueberry sorbet, then the finale: a painstakingly assembled vanilla and raspberry mille feuilles.

In our blissful culinary bubble, it was important to remember the reason we’d been blessed with such a fantastic feast, so it was lovely to hear Vicky’s reflections as we sipped our coffee. Like most independent business owners, Vicky’s had a rollercoaster journey to get to this point, and her words were a poignant reminder of the struggles women go through to establish themselves in an increasingly harsh climate. After taking a moment to congratulate her, it was time to head to the Wigmore for cocktails.

The space is another beautiful reflection of the quiet opulence of the hotel, with more next-level floristry, a stunning, ornate bar and tasteful yet comfortable furniture. The group were huge fans of the ingredients and combinations on offer, but as someone who likes a pretty simple tipple, I let the side down and switched to a more pedestrian glass of bubbly.

Make no mistake though, the showmanship of the mixologists and the passion with which the team explained the options mean the Wigmore is the place for cocktail lovers.

I won’t talk about the fact that our great British transport system brought us back down to earth with a bump when we emerged into the searing evening sun.
I’ll just say that it was magical to experience life from a more beautiful, comfortable perspective. Just for a day.

Congratulations to Vicky, and to all the business owners facing multiple obstacles as they try to realise their vision.

And in cases like Palm Tree Skin, succeeding spectacularly.


Claire can be found on Facebook and Instagram as my40pluslife.me

@palmtreeskin